sometimes ebbing sometimes flowing here is no rest And the reason is because we are out of our centre every thing is in motion till it comes at the centre Christ is the centre of the soule the Needle of the compasse trembles till it turns to the North-pole Noahs Dove found no rest for the sole of her feet till she came at the Ark This Ark was a Type of Christ when we come to heaven the Kingdome that cannot be shaken we shall have rest Heb. 4.9 There remaines therefore a rest for the people of God Heaven in Scripture is compared to a granary Mat. 3.12 an emblem of rest Wheat while it stands on the ground is shaken to and fro with the winde but when it is laid up in the granary it is at rest the Elect are spiritual wheat who while they are in the field of this world are never quiet the winde of persecution shakes this wheat and every one that passeth by will be plucking these sacred eares of corne but when the wheat is in the heavenly Garner it is at rest There remaines a rest c. Not but that there shall be motion in heaven for Spirits cannot be idle but it shall be a motion without lassitude and wearinesse They that die in the Lord rest from their labours The work which the Saints shall do in heaven shall be delightsome and pleasant it shall be a labour full of ease a motion full of rest When a Beleever is in heaven he hath his Quietus est The lower Region is windy and tempestuous when we are once gotten into the upper Region of glory there are no winds or noxious vapours but a serene calmnesse this it is to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Christ. SECT VI. The sixth Priviledge of being with Christ. THe last is Security 'T is possible a man may have a few minutes of rest but he is not secure he knowes not how soon Eclipses and changes may come he is still in feare and feare makes a man a servant saith the Philosopher though he know it not There is torment in feare 1 John 4.18 He that hath great possessions thinks thus But how soone may I fall from this Pinacle of honour how soone may the plunderer come Nay a beleever that hath durable riches yet is still pendulous and doubting concerning his condition 1. He somtimes questions whether he be in the state of grace or no and thus he thinks with himselfe perhaps I believe perhaps I do not believe I have something that glisters perhaps it is but a counterfeit chaine of Pearle my Faith is Presumption my Love to Christ is but self-love and when the Spirit of God hath wrought the heart to some sound perswasion he is soone shaken againe as a ship that lies at anchor though it be safe yet it is shaken and tossed upon the water and these feares leave impressions of sadnesse upon the heart 2. But secondly he feares that though he be in the state of Grace yet he may fall into some scandalous sinne and so grieve the Spirit of God sadden the hearts of the righteous wound his own conscience harden sinners discourage new beginners put a song into the mouth of the prophane and at last God hide his face in a cloud A childe of God after a sad declension having by his sinne put black spots in the face of Religion though I deny not but he hath a title to the Promise yet he may be in such a condition that he cannot for the present apply any Promise he may go weeping to his grave These sad feares like black vapours are still arising out of a gracious heart but when once a believer is with Christâ— there is full security of heart he is not onely out of danger but out of feaâ—e Take it thus a man that is upon the top of a Mast he may sit safe for the present but not secure Perhaps the Pirates may shoot at the ship and take it perhaps the windes may arise suddenly and the ship map be cast away in the storme but a man that is upon a rock he stands impregnable his heart is secure A Christian in this life is like a man upon the top of a Mast sometimes the Pirates come abroad viz. cruel persecutors and they shoot at his ship and oft though the passenger the precious soule escapes yet they sink the ship sometimes the windes of tentation blow those northern windes and now the Christian questions whether God love him or whether his name be enrolled in the book of life and though being in Christ there is no danger yet his heart doth hesitate and tremble but when he is with Christ off from the top of the Mast and is planted upon the rock his heart is fully secure and you shall heare him say thus Now I am sure I have shot the gulf I am now passed from death to life and none shall pluck me out of my Saviours armes CHAP. IX The fourth Prerogative Royal. LEt the Lucianists and Epicures place their happinesse in this life a beleevers is in reversion the golden world is yet to come I passe to the next Prerogative which is 4. The blessed inheritance Col. 1.12 Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light This world is but a Tenement which we may be soone turned out of heaven is an inheritance and a glorious one Heaven hath no Hyperbole if the skirts and Suburbs of the Palace viz. the Stars and Planets be so glorious that our eyes cannot behold the dazling lustre of them What glory then is there in the Chamber of presence What is the Sanctum Sanctorum Of this blessed place we have a figurative description Revel 21. Iohn was carried away in the Spirit and had a Vision of heaven Ver. 2. That it was the Hierusalem above is cleare if we consult with Ver. 22. And I saw no Temple therein while we dwell upon earth there is need of a temple we shall not be above Ordinances till we are above sinne but in heavâ—n God will be in stead of a temple He shall be all in all And Ver. 25. There shall be no night there No City is to be found not the most glorious Metropolis under heaven where it is alwayes day for though some Regions which lie immediately under the Pole have light for several moneths together yet when the Sunne with-drawes from the Horizon they have as long a night as before they had a day but saith the Text There shall be no night there In hell it is all night but in heaven the day will be ever lengthening Now this blessed Inheritance or Kingdome which the Saints shall possesse hath six Properties or rather Priviledges worth our serious thoughts 1. Sublimenesse It is set out by a great and high mountaine Revel 21. ver 10. It is placed above the Aëry and Starry Heaven
yet there can be no faith without knowledge They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee Psal. 9.10 Philo calls it fides oculata quick-sighted faith Knowledge must carry the Torch before faith 2 Tim. 1.12 For I know whom I have believed As faith without works is dead so faith without knowledge is blind Devout ignorance damnes which condemns the Church of Rome that think it a piece of their religion to be kept in ignorance these set up an Altar to an unknown God they say Ignorance is the mother of devotion but sure where the Sun is set in the understanding there must needs be night in the affections So necessary is knowledge to the being of faith that the Scripture doth sometimes baptize faith with the Name of knowledge Isa. 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many knowledge is put there for faith Now this knowledge of Christ which goes before faith or rather is the embrio and first matter of which faith is formed consists in four things The soul through this optick glasse of knowledge sees 1. A preciousnesse in Christ he is the chief of ten thousand the pearl of price Christ was never poor but when he had on our rags there is nothing in Christ but what is precious he is precious in his Name in his Nature in his Influences he is called a precious stone he must needs be a precious stone who hath made us living stones 2. A fulnesse in Christ the fulness of the Godhead Col. 2.9 all fulnesse Col. 1.19 a fulnesse of merit his blood able to satisfie his Fathers wrath a fullnesse of Spirit his grace able to supply our wants by the one he doth absolve us by the other he doth adorn us 3. A suitablenesse in Christ that which is good if it be not adaequatum suitable it is not satisfactory If a man be hungry bring him fine flowers this is not suitable he desires food if he be sick bring him musick this is not suitable he desires Physick in this sense there is a suitablenesse in Christ to the soule he is quicquid appetibile as Origen speaks whatever we can desire If we hunger and thirst he is pabulum animae the food of the soul therefore he is called the bread of life If we are sick unto death his blood is a sacred balm he may be compared to the trees of the Sanctuary which were both for meat and for medicine 4. A Propensenesse and readinesse in Christ to give out his fulnesse Isa. 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no mony buy and not c. Behold here at what a low price doth God set his heavenly blessings it is but thirsting bring but desires Behold the Propensenesse in Christ to â—â—spense and give out his fulnesse buy without money a strange kind of buying there 's bounty in Christ as well as beauty As he is all fulnesse so he is all sweetnesse of a noble and generous disposition he doth not only invite us but charge us upon pain of death to come in and believe he threatens us if we will not lay hold of mercy he waits to be gracious This is the lenocinium and enticer of the affections this draws the eyes and heart of a sinner after him what are the blessed Promises but Christs golden Scepter held forth what are the motions of the Spirit but Jesus Christ coming a wooing and such a knowledge and sight of Christ is necessary to usher in faith now the soul begins to move towards him he sees all this variety of excellency in Christ and withall sees a possibility nay a probability of mercy there is nothing that hinders him God doth not exclude him unlesse he exclude himself Then he thinks thus What is it keeps me off from Christ is it my unworthinesse behold there is merit in Christ is it my wants there is enough in the fountain and Jesus Christ doth not expect that I should carry any thing to him but rather that I should bring something from him he doth not expect that I should carry water to the well only an empty vessel why then should not this fulnesse in Christ be for me as well as others While he is thus parlying with himself the Spirit works a kind of perswasion that Christ is willing that he in particular should taste of this mercy then follows the second act which faith puts forth and that is consent Well I will have Christ whatever it cost me §. II. That Consent is requisite to faith Though Knowledge be a necessary antecedent to Faith yet it is not enough there must be secondly Consent Faith is seated as well in the heart and will as in the understanding as well in the affection as in the apprehension With the heart man believes Scepticks in religion may have a faith in the head but not in the heart they are more Notion then Motion the soul consents to have Christ and to have him upon his own terms 1. As an Head the head hath a double office it is the fountaine of spirits and the seat of government the head is as it were the Pilot of the body it rules and steers it in its motion The believer consents to have Christ not only as an Head to send forth spirits that is comfort but as an head to rule A sinner would take Christs Promises but not his Laws he would be under Christs benediction but not under his jurisdiction A believer consents to have whole Christ non eligit objectum he doth not pick and choose but as he expects to sit down with Christ upon the throne so he makes his heart Christs Throne 2. The believer consents to have Christ for better for worse a naked Christ a persecuted Christ faith sees a beauty and glory in the reproaches of Christ and will have Christ not only in purple but when with Iohn Baptist he is cloathed in Camels haire Faith can embrace the fire if Christ be in it Faith looks upon the Crosse as Iacobs ladder to carry him up to Heaven Faith saith Blessed be that affliction welcome that Crosse which carries Christ upon it 3. The Believer consents to have Christ purely for love if the wife should give her consent only for her husbands riches she should marry his estate rather then his person non est amicitia sed mercatura it were not properly to make a marriage with him but rather to make a merchandise of him the believer consents for love amat Christum propter Christum he loves Christ for Christ Heaven without Christ is not a sufficient dowry for a believer there 's nothing adulterate in his consent it is not sinister there 's nothing forced it is not for feare that were rather constraint then consent a consent forced will not hold in Law it is voluntary The beauty of Christs person and the sweetness of his disposition draws the will
which as the Primum mobile or master-wheel carries the whole soul with it 4. The believer consents to have Christ pro termino interminabili never to part more he desires an uninterrupted communion with him he will part with life but not with Christ indeed death when it slips the knot between the soul and the body it ties it faster between the soul and Christ. 5. The Believer doth so consent to have Christ as he makes a deed of gift resigning up all the interest in himself to Christ he is willing to lose his own Name and sirname himselfe by the Name of Christ to lose his own will and be wholly at Christs dispose Ye are not your own he resigns up his love to Christ. In this sense the Spouse is said to be a spring shut up She hath love for Relations but the best of her love is kept for Christ The world hath the Milke of her love but Christ hath the Cream of it the choisest and purest of her love is a Spring shut up it is broached onely for Christ to drink This is the second Act of faith §. III. Opening the nature of Recumbency The third thing is Recumbency The soul having given its consent that the match should be made up and done it out of choice now it casts it selfe upon Christ as a man that casts himselfe upon the stream to swim it makes an holy adventure it clasps about Christ and saith My Lord my Jesus which is as it were the joyning of hands This Act of Recumbency is sometimes in Scripture call'd a coming to Christ sometimes a leaning upon Christ This is that faith which justifies Now concerning this faith I shall lay down two Rules 1. That faith justifies not as a formal cause but purely as an instrument viz. as it lays hold on Christ the blessed object and fetcheth in his fulnesse and in this sense it is call'd a precious faith the worth lies not in faith but in Christ on which it doth centre and terminate Faith in it selfe considered is not more excellent than other graces Take a piece of Wax and a piece of Gold of the same Magnitude the Wax is not valuable with the Gold but as this Wax hangs at the lavell of some Will by vertue of which a great Estate is confirmed and conveighed so it may be worth many hundred pounds So faith considered purely in it self doth challenge nothing more than other graces nay in some sense it is inferiour it being an empty hand But as this hand receives the precious Almes of Christs Merits and is an instrument or channell thorow which the blessed streams of life flow to us from him so it doth challenge a superiority above other graces Indeed some affirme that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very Act of believing without reference to the Merits of Christ justifies To which I shall say but this 1. Faith cannot justifie as it is an Act for it must have an object we cannot if we make good sense separate between the Act and the Object What is faith if it do not fix upon Christ but fancy It was not the people of Israels looking up that cured them but the fixing their eye upon the Brazen Serpent 2. Faith doth not justifie as it is a Grace This were to substitute faith in Christs roome it were to make a Christ of Faith Faith is a good Grace but a bad Christ. 3. Not as a Work which must needs be if as some affirme it be in lieu of obedience to the Moral Law Then we should be justified by Works contrary to that Ephes. 2.9 where the Apostle speaks expresly Not of works So that it is clear faith's excellency lies in the apprehending and applying the object Christ therefore in Scripture we are said to be justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through faith as an Instrument deputed not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for faith as a formall cause The second Rule is that Faith doth not justifie as it doth exercise grace It cannot be denied but faith hath an influence upon the graces it is like a silver thred that runnes thorow a Chain of Pearl it puts strength and vivacity into all the vertues but it doth not justifie under this Notion Faith begets obedience By faith Abraham obeyed But Abraham was not justified as he obeyed but as he beleeved Faith works by love but it doth not justifie as it works by love For as the Sun shines by its brightnesse not by its heat though both are inseparably joyned so faith and love are tyed together by an indissoluble knot yet faith doth not justifie as it works by love but as it layes hold on Christ. Though faith be accompanied with all the graces yet in point of justification it is alone and hath nothing to do with any of the graces Hence that speech of Luther in the justification of a sinner Christ and faith are alone Tanquam sponsus spomsa in thalamo As the Bridegroom and Bride in the Bed-chamber Faith is never separated from the graces yet sometimes it is alone And thus I have shewn you the Essentials of faith §. IV. Shewing what are the fruits and products of faith I proceede to the Consequentials of faith There are many rare and supernatural fruits of faith 1. Faith is an heart-quickning grace it is the vitall Artery of the soul The just shall live by his faith Hab. 2.4 When we begin to believe we begin to live Faith grafts the soule into Christ as the cion into the stock and fetcheth all its sap and juyce from that blessed Vine Faith is the great quickner it quickens our graces and our duties 1. Faith quickens our graces the Spirit of God infuseth all the seeds and habits but faith is the fountain of all the acts of grace it is as the Spring in the Watch that moves the Wheels not a grace stirs till faith set it a work How doth love work By faith When I apprehend Christs love this doth pullize and draw up my love to him again How doth humility work By faith Faith humbles the soul it hath a double aspect it looks upon sin and a sight of sin humbles it looks upon Free-grace and a sight of mercy humbles How doth patience work By faith If I believe God is a wise God who knowes what is best for me and can deliver not onely from affliction but by affliction This spins out patience Thus faith is not only viva but vivifica it puts forth a divine Energy and operation into all the graces 2. Faith animates and quickens our duties What was the blood of Bulls and Goats to take away sin It was their faith in the Messiah that made their dead Sacrifices become living Services What are Ordinances but a dumb shew without the breathings of faith in them therefore in Scripture it is called the prayer of faith the hearing of faith and the obedience of
Imprimatur EDM. CALAMY The Christian's CHARTER Shewing the PRIVILEDGES OF A BELIEVER BY THOMAS WATSON Master of Arts of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and now Pastor of Stephens Walbrook LOND He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall hee not with him freely give us all things Rom 8.32 Godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1. Tim. 4.8 Quà m divites illi qui omnia possident Aretius The third impression Enlarged London Printed by T. R EM for Ralph Smith at the signe of the Bible in Cornhil neer The Royal Exchange 1654. TO THE Right Honourable and Religious The Lady MARY VERE Baronesse of Tilbury And My much Honoured LADY MADAM I Have presumed upon your Ladyship humbly to present you with these few Meditations As it is a rich mercy to have a spiritual Ioynture so it cannot but be a comfort to know what it is 'T is a joy to the young heir to have a view of his estate that is the work of this Treatise to set before you the Land of promise While we are here in the combate we had need look to the Crown to make us fight the more valiantly Moses had an eye at the recompence of reward and that did animate him against sufferings yea our blessed Saviour himself looked at the joy set before him Madam Could we live in the thoughts of these great things to come what sublime what sweet lives should we lead Surely if there be any sadâ—nesse gathers in our spirits if any despondency it comes in at this leak of unbelief Vnbelif is a bad neighbour it is alwayes raising either Jealousies of God as if he would not be as good as his Word Vnbelief with Sarah laughs at the promise Or scruples in the heart whether all these promises belong to us The Devil shot three fiery darts into the virgin-castle of Eves heart whereof the first was the most deadly Yea hath God said He would induce this beliefe in her that God had not spoken Truth and when he had once wrought her to distrust then she took of the tree c. All â—he train of tentation that Satan â—ayes is to blow up the fort of our Faith We had need maintain this grace it is Faith must maintaine us While the Pilot keeps his ship his ship keeps him Right Honourable Blessed be the riches of Gods grace who hath set this heavenly plant in your heart and hath kept you in the faith insomuch that all the shakings of the times have but settled you the more and I doubt not but he that hath begun a good work in you will performe it untill the day of Jesus Christ. What an unparalell'd mercy is it to be kept free in the time of infection God hath given your Ladyship a sound judgement and a tender conscience both which are jewels of great price I may say of you as it is said of Jehoshaphat his heart was lift up in the wayes of the Lord 2 Chron. 17.12 Yet I have observed the more you have been lifted up in God the more you have been cast down in your self It is excellent when the higher we grow in knowledge the lower we grow in humility I speak it to the praise of free-grace God hath crowned your silver haires with golden vertues every one of which doth shine as thosâ— precious stones the Sardius the Topaz and the Diamond Ezek. 28.13 Holiness is a beautiful thing it carries a majesty in the face of it even those that oppose it cannot but admire it Grace differs little from glory the one is the seed the other the flower Grace is glory militant and glory is grace triumphant Theodosius thought it a greater honour that he was a Christian then the head of an Empire Your piety is a greater glory to you then your Parentage it is more to be the daughter of faith then to descend from Nobles or to have the blood royal running in your veins Madam There is a time shortly coming when neither birth estate or any worldly embellishments will do us good you have laid in provision against that time and gotten the new birth when all other birth and Nobility must lie in the dust This is that which makes your name smell in Gods Church as the wine of Lebanon Go on Right Honourable in those paths which have an immediate tendency to life and blessednesse We are like to meet with many rubs in the way before we get to Heaven It is said of Israel their soul was much discouraged because of the way Had we more grace we should have need enough to use it expect we must fiery serpents but the righteous will hold on his way Job 17.9 Is not every Christian an Ensign-bearer to carry Christs Colours We must resolve to be good in good earnest The almost Christian shall be almost saved It is wise counsel our Saviour gives that we should count what religion will cost us Luk. 14.28 It will cost us reproach this is a part of Christs livery which we must weare Think not that our innocency will priviledge us from the reproaches and slanders of the world Christ was the most innocent person upon earth never did any unholy thought come into his minde yet his innocency would not shield him from slander he was called a friend of sinners Let us not be discouraged shall we cease from being Saints because others will not cease from being Devils Is it a wonder when an army is in fight to see the bullets fly abroad and the fire-balls when the seed of the serpent is fighting with the seed of the woman is it strange to see the bullets of tentation flie the fire-balls of slander But if our innocency will not keep us from being shot at it will keep us from being hurt for as no flattery can heal a bad conscience so no slander can hurt a good Again Religion wil cost us persecution this is a part of Christs legacy which he hath left us In the world ye shall have tribulation Our ship would soon overturn if it were not ballasted with some afflictions A Christian is a compounded creature he hath some evil in him therefore God afflicts and he hath some good in him therefore the Devil afflicts Hence that of Cyprian When a man begins to be religious he must think of going into the wine-presse and perhaps the blood of the grapes may be pressed out but the meditation of things to come should sweeten the tryals present and make us that though we cannot live without them yet to live above them What if the times are worse if they make us better and if our burdens be heavy seeing the way we are to go is but short Madam I will not hold you longer I make bold to devote this Manual to your Honour I acknowledge how weak and unfeathered it is therefore unfit to flie
Covenant is founded upon Christ and is sealed in his blood We read of the Mercy-seat which was a divine Hieroglyphick typifying Jesus Christ. There will I meet thee and I will commune with thee from above the Mercy-seat ver 22. To shew that in Christ God is propitions From above this Mercy-seat he communes with us and enters into Covenant Therefore it is observable when the Apostle had said All thing are yours he presently adds Ye are Christs There comes in the title we hold all in capite This golden chain Things present and things to come is linked to us by vertue of our being linked to Christ. By faith we have an interest in Christ having an interest in Christ we have an interest in God having an interest in God we have a title to all things CHAP. III. The opening of the Charter Things present are a Beleevers AND now I come to that great question What are the things contained in the Charter Resp. There are two words in the text that expresse it Things present and things to come I begin with the first 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things present are a beleevers Amongst these things present there are three specified in the text Paul and Apollo the world life c. Here is me thinks a row of pearl I will take every one of these asunder and shew you their worth then see how rich a beleever is that wears such a chaine of pearle about him §. 1. Paul and Apollo are yours 1. Under these words Paul and Apollo by a figure are comprehended all the Ministers of Christ the weakest as well as the eminentest Paul and Apollo are yours viz. their labours are for edifying the Church They are adminicula fidei the helpers of your faith The parts of a Minister are not given him for himself they are the Churches If the people have a taint of errour the Ministers of Christ must season them with wholesome words therefore they are called the salt of the earth If any soul be fainting under the burden of sin 't is the work of a Minister to drop in comfort therefore he is said to hold forth the brests as a nurse Thus Paul and Apollo are yours All the gifts of a Minister all his graces are not only for himself they are the Churches A Minister must not monopolize his gifts to himselfe this is to hide his talents in a napkin such an one makes an enclosure where God would have all common Paul and Apollo are yours The Ministers of Christ should be as musk among linnen which casts a fragrancy or like that box of spiknard which being broken open fill'd the house with its odour So should they do by the savour of their ointments A Minister by sending out a sweet perfume in his doctrine and life makes the Church of God as a garden of spices Paul and Apollo are yours They are as a lamp or torch to light souls to heaven Chrysostome's hearers thought they had as good be without the Sun in the Firmament as Chrysostome in the Pulpit Paul and Apollo are springs that hold the water of life as these springs must not be poisoned so neither must they be shut up or sealed A Minister of Christ is both a granary to hold the corn and a Steward to give it out 'T is little better then theft to withhold the bread of life The lips of Apollo must be as an hony-comb dropping in season and out of season The graces of the Spirit are sacred flowers which though they cannot die yet being apt to wither Apollo must come with his water-pot It is not enough that there be Grace in the heart but it must be poured into his lips As Paul is a beleever so all things are his but as Paul is a Minister so he is not his own he is the Churches There are three corrolaries I shall draw from this Use 1. If Paul and Apollo are yours Every Minister of Christ is given for the edifying of the Church take heed that you despise not the least of these for all are for your profit The least star gives light the least drop moistens There is some use to be made even of the lowest parts of men There are gifts differing but all are yours The weakest Minister may help to strengthen your faith In the law all the Levites did not sacrifice onely the Priests as Aaron and his sons but all were serviceable in the worship of God those that did not sacrifice yet helped to bear the Arke As in a building some bring stones some timber some perhaps bring only nailes yet these are usefull these serve to fasten the work in the building The Church of God is a spiritual building some Ministers bring stones are more eminent and useful others timber others lesse they have but a nail in the work yet all serve for the good of this building The least nail in the Ministry serves for the fastning of souls to Christ therefore let none be contemned Though all are not Apostles all are not Evangelists all have not the same dexterous abilities in their work yet remember all are yours all edifie Oftentimes God crowns his labours and sends most fish into his net who though he may be lesse skilful is more faithful and though he hath lesse of the brain yet more of the heart An Ambassador may deliver his Ambassage with a trembling lip and a stammering tongue but he is honourable for his works sake he represents the Kings person Use. 2. If Paul and Apollo are yours all Christs Ministers have a subserviency to your good they come to make up the match between Christ and you then love Paul and Apollo All the labours of a Minister his prayers his tears the pregnancy of his parts the torrent of his affections all are yours then by the law of equity there must be some reflections of love from your hearts towards Paul and Apollo such as are set over you in the Lord If they seek your establishment you must seek their encouragement if they endeavour your salvation you must endeavour their safety What an unnatural thing is it that any should strive to bring them to death whose very calling is to bring men to life The Minister is a spiritual Father it was a brand of infamy on them Hos. 4.4 For this people are as they that strive with their Priest Was there none to fall out with but the Priest even he that offered up their sacrifices for them and what is it think we for men to quarrel with their spiritual Fathers even those whom they once had a venerable opinion of and acknowledged to be the means of their conversion Either love your spiritual Fathers or there is ground of suspicion that yours was but a false birth Use 3. If Paul and Apollo are yours they are for the building you up in your faith Then
Stil-born 2. Illegitimate 1. Stil-born Dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes. 2.1 A man in his pure naturals is dead 1. In respect of working 2. In respect of honour 1. In respect of working A dead man cannot work The works of a sinner in Scripture are called dead works bid a natural man do any thing you had as good set a dead man about your work bring him to a Sermon you doe but bring a dead corps to Church bring him to the Sacrament he poisons the Sacramentall cup he may receive the Elements but nothing concocts It is as if you should put bread and wine into a dead mans mouth Reprove him sharply for his sinne To what purpose do you strike a dead man 2. He is dead in respect of Honour He is dead to all priviledges He is not fit to inherit mercy Who sets the Crown upon a dead man The Apostle calls it the Crown of life Revel 2.10 it is only the living Christian shall wear the Crown of life 2. A man unregenerate is spirituallly illegetimate The Devil is his father Ye are of your father the devil And sin is his mother Sin is the womb that bare him and the paps that gave him suck Thus it is till Christ be formed in the heart of a sinner then his reproach is rolled away from him Regeneration doth ennoble a person therefore such an one is said to be borne of God 1 Iohn 3.9 O how beautifull is that soul I may say with Bernard O anima Dei insignita imagine desponsata fide donata Spiritu c. O divine soul invested with the image of God espoused to him by faith A person regenerate is imbroydered with all the graces of the Spirit he hath the glistering spangles of holinesse the Angels glory shining in him he hath upon him the reflex of Christs beauty The new creature is a new Paradise set full of the heavenly plants An heart ennobled with grace to speak with reverence is Gods lesser heaven §. 3. Shewing The nature of Adoption and that this is a part of the Beleevers Charter 3. The third priviledge is the Adoption of his person Having predestinated us to the Adoption of children by Iesus Christ A believer is made of the blood royall of heaven This adoption or son-ship consists in three things 1. A transition or translation from one family to another As a plant must be taken out of one soile and put into another else it cannot properly be said to be transplanted He that is adopted is taken out of the old family of the devil Ephes. 2.2 and Hell ver 3. to which he was heir apparent and is made of the family of heaven ver 19. of a noble family 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is his Father Christ his elder Brother the Saints Co-heirs the Angels Fellow-servants in that Family 2. Adoption consists in an immunity and disobligement from all the lawes of the former family Psal. 45.10 Forget also thy Fathers house He that is spiritually adopted hath now no more to do with sin Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols A childe of God hath indeed to do with sin as with an enemy to which he gives battel but not as with a Lord to which he yields obedience He is free from sinne I do not say he is free from duty Was it ever heard that a childe should be freed from duty to his Parents This is such a freedome as Rebels take 3. Adoption consists in a legall investiture into all the rights and priviledges of the family into which the person is to be adopted There are foure of these royalties or priviledges 1. He that is divinely adopted the entaile of hell and damnation is cut off Before all the curses in Gods book were due to us adoption cuts off the entaile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.1 There is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus A believer is out of the power of damnation Will a father passe the sentence upon his own sonne He may as in some cases Judges have done in their circuit but God will not God doth so love his eldest Son that for his sake he will not destroy any of his adopted sons Indeed every believer is like to Christ the eldest Son He hath the same spirit the same judgement the same will so that there being something of Christ the eldest Son in every adopted son God will not destroy him for then he should throw something of Christ into hell 2. The second royalty is a new name In two cases the name is changed in marriage the wife loseth her own name and in adoption he that is adopted assumes a new name before a Slave now a Sonne of a sinner a Saint To him that overcomes I will give a white stone and in the stone a new name written The white stone that is remission and the new name that is adoption and the new name is put in the white stone to shew that our adoption is grounded upon our justification and this new name is written to shew that God hath all the names of his children enrolled in the Book of life 3. The third Royalty or priviledge of adoption is a new Scutchion You may see the Saints scutchion or coat armour The Scripture hath set forth their heraldry Sometimes they give the Lion in regard of their courage Prov. 28.1 Indeed they are neerly allied to him who is the Lion of the tribe of Iudah Sometimes they give the Eagle in regard of their sublimenesse They are ever flying up to heaven upon the two wings of faith and love Isa. 40.31 They shall mount up with wings as Eagles Sometimes they give the Dove in regard of their meekness and innocency Cant. 2.14 O my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock This is the dignity of a a believer he hath a new Scutchion 4. He that is adopted is heir apparent to all the promises There is never a promise in the Bible but a childe of God may say this is mine therefore they are called the heirs of the promise The promises are called great and precious 1 Pet. 1.4 Great for their extent Precious for their excellency The promises are a Cabinet of jewels they are brests full of the wine of consolation there is Christ and heaven in a promise now he that is adopted is made an heir of the promise and he may lay a legall claim to it An unbeliever hath nothing to do with these priviledges Ishmael was the son of the bond-woman he had no right to the family Cast out the bond-woman and her son as Sarah once said to Abraham Gen. 21.10 So the unbeliever is not adopted he is none of the family and God will say at the day of Judgement Cast out this son of the bond-woman into outer darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth §. 4. The Corrolaries or
Debt-book is crossed in his blood Quest. How is Death ours Answ. Two wayes 1. It is the Out-let to Sin 2. It is the In-let to happiness 1. Death to a Beleever is an Out-let to Sin we are in this life under a sinful necessity even the best Saint There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Evill thoughts are continually arising out of our hearts as sparks out of a Furnace Sin keeps house with us whether we will or no the best Saint alive is troubled with In-mates though he forsakes his sinnes yet his sinnes will not forsake him 1. Sin doth indispose to good How to performe that which is good I finde not Rom. 7. ver 18. When we would pray the heart is as a Voyal out of tune When we would weepe we are as clouds without rain 2. Sin doth irritate to evil The Flesh lusts against the Spirit There needs no winde of Tentation we have Tide strong enough in our hearts to carry us to Hell Consider sinne under this threefold notion 1. Sin is a body of death and that not impertinently First It is a body for its weight The body is an heavy and weighty substance so is Sin a body it weighs us down When we should pray the weights of Sin are tied to our feet that we cannot ascend Anselm seeing a little Boy playing with a Bird he let her flie up and presently pulls the Bird down againe by a string So saith he it is with me as with this Bird when I would flie up to heaven upon the wings of meditation I finde a string tied to my leg I am over-powered with corruption but Death pulls off these weights of sin and le ts the Soul free Secondly Sin is a body of death for its annoyance It was a cruel torment that one used he tied a dead man to a living that the dead man might annoy and infest the living Thus it is with a childe of God he hath two men within him Flesh and Spirit Grace and Corruption here is the dead man tied to the living a proud sinful heart is worse to a childe of God then the smell of a dead Corps Indeed to a natural man sinne is not offensive for being dead in sinne he is not sensible of the body of death but where there is a vitall principle there is no greater annoyance then the body of Death Insomuch that the pious soule oft cries out as David Wo is me that I dwell in Mesek and sojourn in the tents of Kedar So saith he Wo is me that I am constrained to abide with sin How long shall I be troubled with inmates How long shall I offend that God whom I love When shall I leave these Tents of Kedar 2. Sinne is a Tyrant it carries in it the nature of a Law the Apostle calls it the law in his members There is the law of Pride the law of Unbelief it hath a kinde of jurisdiction as Caesar over the Senate perpetuam dictaturam What I hate that do I The Apostle was like a man carried down the streame and was not able to beare up against it Sinne takes us prisoners whence are our carnal fears whence our passions whence is it that a childe of God doth that which he allows not yea against knowledge only this he is for a time Sinnes Prisoner The Flesh oft prevailes though in coole blood the elder shall serve the younger whence is it that he who is borne of God should be so earthly The reason is he is captived under sin but be of good chear where grace makes a Combate death shall make a Conquest 3. Sin is a leprous spot It makes every thing we touch uncleane We reade when the Leprosie did spread in the walls of the house the Priests commanded them to take away the stones in the wall in which the Plague was and take other stones and put in the place of those stones and take other morter Levit. 14.42 But when the Plague spread againe in the wall then he must break downe the house with the stones and timber thereof Vers. 45. Thus in every man naturally there is a fretting leprosie of sinne pride impenitency c. These are leprous spots now in conversion here God doth as it were take away the old stones and timber and put new in the roome he makes a change in the heart of a sinner but still the leprousie of sinne spreads then at last death comes and pulls down the stones and timber of the house and the soule is quite freed from the leprousie Sinne is a defiling thing it makes us red with guilt and black with filth 'T is compared to a menstruous cloath we need carry it no higher Pliny tells us that the Trees with touching of it would become barren and Hierom saith Nihil in lege menstruato immundius there was nothing in the Law more uncleane then the menstruous cloath this is sinne Sinne drawes the Devils picture in a man malice is the Devils eye oppression is his hand hypocrisie is his cloven foot but behold death will give us our discharge death is the last and best Physician which cures all diseases the aking head and the unbelieving heart Peccatum erat obstetrix mortis mors erit sepulchrum peccati Sinne was the Mid-wife that brought Death into the World and Death shall be the Grave to bury Sinne O the Priviledge of a Beleever he is not taken away in his sinnes but he is taken away from his sinnes The Persians had a certaine day in the yeare which they called vitiorum interitum wherein they used to kill all Serpents and venemous creatures Such a day as that will the day of death be to a man in Christ. This day the old Serpent dies in a Beleever that hath so often stung him with his temptations this day the sinnes of the godly these venemous creatures shall all be destroyed they shall never be proud more they shall never grieve the Spirit of God more the Death of the body shall quite destroy the Body of death 2. Death to a Believer is an Inlet to happinesse Sampson found an honey-combe in the Lions carcase so may a childe of God suck much sweetnesse from death Death is the gate of life death pulls off our rags and gives us change of rayment all the hurt it doth us is to put us into a better condition Death is called in Scripture a sleepe 1 Thes. 4.14 Those that sleepe in Iesus as after sleep the spirits are exhilarated and refreshed so after Death the times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord. Death is yours Death opens the portal into Heaven as Tertullian speakes The day of a Christian's death is the birth-day of his heavenly life it is his Ascension-day to glory it is his Marriage-day with Jesus Christ. After our Funerall begins our Marriage Well then
reigne then surely the Church of God should not be militant upon earth but triumphant But behold the honour of the Saints they shall be all Kings though I say not in this life all Christs Subjects are Kings therefore you read of 1. Their Royal â—obe Revel 6. v. 11. 2. Their Throne Revel 3 v. 21. To him that overcomes I will give him to sit upon my Fathers throne Perhaps here he had but a poor thatched house but there a Throne 3. Their Crown In this world the Saints weare a crown of Thornes but there a crown of Glory and this crown hath two Properties 1. It is Incorruptible 1 Pet. 5.4 it fades not away it doth not wither but after millions of years is as bright and flourishing as at the first dayes wearing eternity is a flower of the Saints crown 2. It is unmixed it hath no cares woven into it Kings crowns are so weighty in regard of the cares and sorrowes appendant that often they make their head ake Cyrus the Persian King was wont to say Did men but know the cares which he sustained under an Imperiall crown he thought no man would stoop to take it up The Crown Royall though it may be made of pure gold yet it is mixt mettal but the Saints Crown in glory is without mixture it is not mingled with care of keeping or feare of losing oh then let us be willing to suffer for Christ if we beare the Crosse we shall wear the Crown A second Part of the Saints honour is they shall sit with Jesus Christ when he judgeth the world Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world The Saints shall sit with Christ in Judicature as the Justice of Peace with the Judge the Saints are Christs Assessors they shall be with him upon the Bench applauding his righteous sentence O what a glorious Tribunal will that be here the world judgeth the Saints but there the Saints shall judge the world 3. They shall sit nearer the Throne then the Angels the Angels are noble and sublime Spirits but Christ having taken our flesh the knot being tied between the Divine and Humane Nature in the Virgins womb we shall be ennobled with greater honour then the Angels the Angels are Christs friends but not his brethren we are flesh of his flesh He is not ashamed to call them brethren and surely Christ will see them of the blood royall advanced To what Angels hath Christ said Ye are my brethren This honour have all his Saints As the Saints robes in glory shal be brighter then the Angels their 's being only the righteousnesse of creatures but these having upon them the Righteousness of God So their dignity shall be greater O infinite here we are prisoners at bar but there Favourites at Court the Saints shall sit down in glory above the Angels SECT IV. The fourth Priviledge of being with Christ. THe next priviledge is Joy This joy of the Saints proceeds from Union when our union with Christ is perfect then our joy shall be full Rev. 21.4 And God shall wipe away all tears and there shall be no more sorrow 1. There shall be no weeping Jesus Christ hath provided a Spunge to wipe off the tears of the Saints Here the Spouse is in Sable it being a time of absence from her Husband But in heaven Christ will take away the Spouses mourning he will pull off all her black and bloody robes and will cloath her in white robes Revel 7.13 White as it is an Embleme of the Saints purity so it is a type of their joy heaven should not be heaven if there were weeping there hell indeed is called a place of weeping they that would not shed a teare for their sinnes while they lived shall have weeping enough but we never read of weeping in heaven Christ will take downe our harps from the Willows there he will call for his Heralds and trumpeters the Angels those blessed Quiristers shall sing the divine anthems of praise anâ— the Saints shall joyne in that heavenly Consort If it were possible that any teares could be shed when we are with Christ they should be the teares of joy as sometimes we have seene a man weepe for exessive joy Christ will turne all our water there into wine 2. There shall be no sorrow one smile from Christs face will make us forget all our afflictions sorrow is a cloud gathered in the heart upon the apprehension of some evil and weeping is the cloud of griefe dropping into raine but in heaven the Sun of righteousness shall shine so bright that there shall not be the least interposition of any cloud there shall be no sorrow there nor any thing to breed it there shall be no sin to humble heaven is such a pure soile that the Viper of sin will not breed there there shall be no Devil to tempt the old Serpent is cast out of the heavenly Paradise There shall be no Enemy to molest When Israel had conquered Canaan yet they could not get rid of all the Canaanites they would live among them But the Canaanites would dwell in that land But when we are with Christ we shall never be troubled with Canaanites more In that day I may allude to that of the Prophet there shall be no more the Canaanite dwell in the house of the Lord God will keep the heavenly Paradise with a flaming Sword that none shall come neere to hurt Upon all that glory shall be a defence There shall be nothing to breed sorrow in heaven There are two things that usually raise the clouds of sorrow and both shall be removed when we are with Christ. 1. The frownes of great men how ambitious are men of the Princes smile but alas that quickly sets in a cloud and then their comforts are in the wain they are sad but when we are with Christ we shall have a perpetual smile from God the Saints shall never be out of favour Jesus Christ is the great favorite at Court and as long as God smiles upon Christ so long he will smile upon the Saints they having on Christs beauty and being part of Christ. 2. The losse of deare friends a friend imparts secrets friendship is the marriage of affections it makes two become one spirit David and Ionathan tooke sweete counsel together their heart was knit in one now here is the grief when this precious knot must be untyed but be of good cheare if thy friend belong to the election after thou hast parted with thy sinnes thou shalt meet with him and never part If thy friend be wicked though he were thy friend on earth thou wilt cease to be his friend in heaven The pious wife shall not complaine she hath lost her husband nor the religious Parent that he hath lost his childe all relations are infinitely made up in Christ as the whole constellation in the Sunne that great Lamp of Heaven When a man comes to
is the banquetting-house where are all those delicacies and rarities wherewith God himselfe is delighted while we are sitting at that Table Christ's Spiknard will send forth its smell There is the bed of love there are the curtaines of Solomon there are the Mountaines of Spices and the streames from Lebanon there are the Cherubims not to keep us out but to welcome us into Paradise there shall the Saints be adorned as a Bride with Pearles of glory There will God give us abundantly above all that we are able to aske or think Is not here enough what cannot an ambitious spirit ask Hamans aspiring heart could have asked not only the Kings royal Robe and the ring from his hand but the Crown from his head too a man can ask a century of Kingdomes a million of worlds But in heaven God will give us more then we can ask Nay more then we can think An high expression what cannot we think we can think what if all the dust of the earth were turned to silver what if every stone were a wedge of gold what if every flower were a ruby every pile of grasse a pearle every sand in the Sea a diamond yet what were all this to the New Hierusalem which is above It is as impossible for any man in his deepest thoughts to comprehend glory as it is to mete the heaven with a span or draine the great Ocean O incomparable place Surely were we carried away in the spirit I meane elevated by the power of Faith to the contemplation of this royal and stately Palace I know not whether we should more wonder at the lustre of heaven or at the dulnesse of such as minde earthly things How is the world adored which is but a Pageant or apparition It is reported of Caesar that travelling on a time through a certaine City as he passed along he saw the women for the most part playing with Monkies and Parrets at which sight he said What have they no children to play with So I say when I see men toying with these earthly and beggarly delights What are there not more glorious and sublime things to look after That which our Saviour saith to the woman of Samaria If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water the same may I say Did men know these eternal Mansions and what it were to be digging in these rich Mines of glory would God give them a Vision of heaven a while as he did Peter who saw heaven opened Act. 10.11 how would they fall into a Trance being amazed and filled with joy and being a little recovered out of it how importunately would they beg of God that they might be adopted into this stately inheritance But what do I expatiate these things are unspeakable and full of glory Had I as many tongues as haires on my head I could never sufficiently set forth the beauty and resplendency of this inheritance Such was the curious art of Apelles in drawing of Pictures that if another had taken up the Pensil to draw he had spoiled all Apelles work Such is the excellency of this celestial Paradise that if the Angels should take up their Pensill to delineate it in its colours they would but staine and eclipse the glory of it I have given you only the dark shadow in the Picture and that but rudely and imperfectly Such is the beauty and blisse of this inheritance that as Chrysostome saith if it were possible that all the sufferings of the Saints could be laid upon one man it were not worth one houres being in Heaven Augustine is of opinion we shall know our friends in heaven Nor to me doth it seeme improbable for sure our knowledge there shall not be eclipsed or diminished but encreased And that which Anselme doth assert that we shall have a knowledge of the Patriarchs and Prophets and Apostles all that were before us and shall be after us our predecessors and successors to me seemes very rational for society without acquaintance is not comfortable and my thinks the Scripture doth hint thus much if Peter and Iames having but a glimpse of glory when our Lord was transfigured on the Mount were able to know Moses and Elias whom they had never seen before how much more shall we being infinitely irradiated and enlightened with the Sun of righteousnesse know all the Saints though we were never acquainted with them before And this will be very comfortable Certainly there shall be nothing wanting that may compleate the Saints happiness Now that this glorious inheritance is the Saints Prerogative I shall evince by two Arguments It is so 1. In respect of the many obligations that lie upon God for performing this As 1. In regard of his promise Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie hath promised Gods promise is better then any mans bond 2. In regard of his oath He who is truth hath sworne Heb. 6.17 3. In regard of the price that is paid for it Christs blood Heaven is not only a promised possession but a purchased possession Eph. 1.14 4. In regard of Christs prayer for it Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am Now God can deny Christ nothing being the onely favourite I know thou alwayes hearest me Joh. 11.42 5. In regard of Christs ascension He is gone before to take possession of heaven for us He is now making preparations against our coming Joh. 14.2 I go before to prepare a place for you We reade that our Lord sent two of his disciples before to make ready a large upper roome for the Passeover Mar. 14.15 So Jesus Christ is gone before to make ready a large upper roome in heaven for the Saints 6. In regard of the anticipation of the Spirit in the hearts of the godly giving them an assurance of and stirring up in them passionate desires after this glorious inheritance hence it is we read of the earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1.22 and the first-fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8.23 and the seale of the Spirit Eph. 1.13 God doth not still his children with rattles Heaven is already begun in a beleever so that the inheritance is certaine You see how many obligations lie upon God and to speak with reverence iâ— stands not onely upon Gods mercy but upon his faithfulness to make all this good to us The second argument is in respect of the Union which the Saints have with Jesus Christ. They are members of Christ therefore they must have a part in this blessed inheritance the members must be where the head is Indeed the Arminians tell us that a justified person may fall finally from grace and so his union with Christ may be dissolved and the inheritance lost But how absurd is this doctrine Is Christ divided can he
The King of the Moors was offended at Religion because the Professors of it were poore I say to him as our Saviour Blessed are ye poore for yours is the Kingdome of God All things to come are yours Who would not be a Beleever O that I might tempt such to Christ as yet stand out 2. Learn your duty Mercy calls for Duty CHAP. XXII Shewing the Duties of a Beleever by way of Retaliation THere are severall Duties which I would presse upon Beleevers and they branch themselves into nine particulars 1. Admire and thankfully adore the love of God in setling this rich Charter upon you How was David affected with Gods goodnesse 2 Sam. 7.19 Thou hast spoken of thy servants House for a great while to come So should we say Lord thou hast not only given us things present but thou hast spoken of thy servants for a great while to come nay for ever It will be a great part of our work in heaven to admire God let us begin to do that work now which we shall be for ever doing Adore free-grace free-grace is the hinge on which all this turns Every link in this golden chaine is richly enamell'd with free-grace Free-grace hath provided us a plank after shipwrack When things pasâ— were forfeited God hath given us things to come When we had lost Paradise he hath provided heaven Thus are we raised a step higher by our fall Set the Crown upon the head of free-grace O to what a Seraphicall frame of spirit should our hearts be raised How should we joyn with Angels and Arch-Angels in blessing God for this 'T is well there is an eternity coming and truly that will be little enough to praise God Say as that sweet Singer of Israel Psal. 103.1 Blesse the Lord O my soul Or as the Original will bear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bow the Knee O my soul before the Lord. Thus should a Christian say All things in heaven and earth are mine God hath setled this great portion upon me Bow the Knee O my soul praise God with the best instrument the heart and let the instrument be screwed up to the highest doe it with the whole heart When God is tuning upon the string of mercy a Christian should be tuning upon the string of Praise I have given you but a taste of this new Wine yet so full of Spirits it is that a little of it should enflame the heart in thankfulnesse Let me call upon you who are the heirs apparent to this rich inheritance Things present and to come that you would get your hearts elevated and wound up into a thankfull frame 'T is not an handsome posture to see a Christian ever complaining when things go crosse O do not so look upon your troubles as to forget your mercies Blesse God for what is to come and to heighten your praises consider God gives you not oneâ—â—â—hese things but he gives yâ—â—â—â—mself It was Austins prayeâ— Lord saith he What ever thou hast given me take all away only give me thy self You have not only the gift but the Giver O take the Harp and Violl if you do not blesse God who shall where will God have his praise he hath but a little in the World Praise is in it self an high Angelical work and requires the highest spirited Christians to perform it Wicked men cannot praise God they can say God be thank'd but as it is with the Hand-Diall the finger of the Diall is at twelve when the Diall hath not moved one minute So though the tongues of wicked men are forward in praise yet their hearts stand still Indeed who can praise God for these glorious priviledges to come but he that hath the Seale of the Spirit to assure him that all is his O that I might perswade the people of God to be thankâ—â—ll Make Gods Praise glorious Let mee tell you God is much taken with this frame Repentance is the joy of Heaven and Thankfulnesse is the musick of Heaven let not God want his musick let it not bee said God hath more Murmurers than Musicians Who so offereth praise glorifies me 2. If all things to come are yours live suitable to those glorious hopes you that look for things to come let mee tell you God looks for something present from you namely that your lives be answerable to your hopes What manner of persons ought you to be 2 Pet. 3.11 You have heard what manner of priviledges you shall have I but what manner of persons ought you to be Those that look to differ from others in their Condition must differre from them also in their Conversation Wherefore beloved seeing you look for such things be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot We would all be glad to be found of God in peace then labour to bee found without spot Spot not your faces spot not your consciences live as those who are the Citizens and Burgesses of this new Ierusalem above Walk as Christ did upon earth There are three steps in which we should follow Christ. 1. In sanctity his was an holy life Which of you convinceth me of sinne Though he was made sin yet he knew no sinne The very divels acknowledged his holinesse we know thee who thou art The holy One of God Oh be like Christ tread in his steps In the Sacrament wee shew forth the Lords death And in an holy conversation wee shew forth his life The holy oyle wherewith the Vessels of the Sanctuary were to be consecrated was compounded of the purest ingredients which was a Type and Embleme of that Sanctity which should rest upon the godly their hearts and lives should be consecrated with the holy oyle of the Spirit How doth it discredit and as it were intomb the honor of religion when men profess they look for heaven yet there is nothing of heaven in them if there be light in the lanthorn it will shine out and if grace be in the heart it will shine forth in the conversation It is a great sinne in these times to be bewailed the looseness of Professors even those that we hope by the rule of charity have the sap of grace in their heart yet do not give forth such a sweet savour in their lives How many under the Notion of Christian Liberty degenerate into Libertinisme The carrage of some that go for Saints is such that it would make men afraid to embrace Religion What Chrysostome saith of the Contentions of the Church in his time If saith he a Gentile should come and say I would bee made a Christian yet when hee sees such a spirit of Dissension among them one of Paul and another of Apollo such are the diversity of opinions that hee knowes not which to chuse but must returne to his Gentilism againe The same may I say of the loosenesse if not scandals of some Professors If a stranger should come from beyond Sea and
bee with Christ yet hee was content to live a while longer that he might build up souls and make the Crown flourish upon the head of Christ 'T is self-love saith Who will shew us any good divine love saith How may I do good The prodigal son could say Father give me my portion he thought more of his portion then his duty A gracious spirit is content to stay out of Heaven a while that he may be a means to bring others thither He whose heart hath been divinely touched with the love of God his care is not so much for receiving the talents of gold as for improving the talents of grace Oh wait a while learne of the Saints of old they waited if we cannot wait now what would we have done in the times of the long-liv'd Patriarchs look upon worldly men they wait for preferment shall they wait for earth and cannot we wait for Heaven If a man hath the reversion of a Lordship or Manor when such a Lease is out will he not wait for it We have the reversion of Heaven when the lease of life is run out and shall we not wait Look upon wicked men they wait for an opportunity to sin the adulterer waits for the twilight sinners lye in wait for their own blood Prov. 1.18 Shall men wait for their damnation and shall not we be content to wait for our salvation Wait without murmuring wait without fainting the things we expect are infinitly more then we can hope for And let me adde one caution wait on the Lord and keep his waies Psal. 37.34 while we are waiting let us take heed of wavering Go not a step out of Gods way though a Lyon be in the way avoid not duty to meet with safety keep Gods high-way the good old way Jer. 6.16 the way which is paved with holiness Isa. 35.8 and an high-way shall be there and it shall be called the way of holiness avoid crooked pathes take heed of turning to the left hand lest you be set on the left hand Sin doth crosse our hopes it barracadoes up our way a man may as well expect to find Heaven in hell as in a sinful way My last Use is to such as have only things present that they would labour for things to come You have seen the blessed condition of a man in Christ never rest till this be yours Alas what are the great possessions of the earth the world hath vanity written upon the frontispiece there 's a transiency and a deficiency in these things What is Honour ' but a rattle to still mens ambition it is like the Meteor which lives in the ayr so doth this in the breath of other men it 's like a gale of wind which carries the ship sometimes this wind is down a man hath lost his Honor and lives to see himself intombed somâ—â—mes this wind is too high how many have been blown to hell while they have been sailing with the wind of popular applause Honor is but magnum nihil a glorious fancy Acts 25.23 It doth not make a man really the better but often the worse a man swell'd with honour wanting grace is like a dropsy-man whose bigness is his disease And for riches the silver goddess which men a dore what are they 1. They are vain I gathered me silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of Kings and of the Provinces Eccl. 2.8 and behold all was vanity vers 11. That must needs bee vain which cannot fill the heart Covetousness is a drie drunkenness the more men have the more they thirst like the fire the more fuell is thrown into it the more it is inflamed 2. They are uncertain 1 Timothy 6.17 they are ever upon the wing Outward comforts as one saith are Dei ludibria quae sursum ac deorsum suo coelo feruntur like Tennis-bals which are bandied up and downe from one to another 3. They are vexing It was a fruit of the curse Genesis 3.18 Thorns and thistles shall the earth brinâ— forth The comforts of this life have more or lesse of the Thorn in them They are sweet-briar Riches may well be called Thorns they pierce both head and heart the one with care of getting the other with griefe in parting with them 4. They are dangerous they oft turn to the hurt of the owner Ecclesiastes 5.13 they are dulce venenum a sweet poison how many have pull'd down their soules to build up an estate A ship may bee so loaded with gold and silver that it sinks A gift blindes the eye the same may bee said of riches the golden dust of the world puts out the eye of the soule that men neither know God nor themselves Iudas as Tertullian thinks was pretty honest till he carried the bag It 's hard to bee in office and not put conscience out of office oh what are these present things in comparison of things to come Christ who had all riches scorn'd these earthly riches hee was borne poore the Manger was his cradle the Cobwebs his curtaines hee lived poore Hee had not where to lay his head hee died poore for as Austin observes when Christ died hee made no Will hee had no Crown-lands only his coate was left and that the Souldiers parted among them and his Funeral was suitable for as he was borne in another mans house so hee was buried in another mans Tombe To shew how hee did contemne earthly dignities and possessions His Kingdome was not of this world Suppose an houre of adversity come can these present things quiet the minde in trouble riches are call'd thick clay which will sooner breake the backe then lighten the heart When pangs of Conscience and pangs of Death come and no hope of things to come what peace can the world give at such a time surely it can yield no more comfort then a silken stockin to a man whose legge is out of joynt a fresh colour delights the eye but if the eye be sore this colour will not heale it Riches availe not in the day of wrath Thou canst not hold thy wedge of gold as a Screene to keepe off the fire of Gods justice Let this sound a retreate to call us off from the immoderate pursuite of present things to labour for things to come what are these neather springs to the upper springs As Abraham said Lord what wilt thou give me seeing I go childless So say Lord what wilt thou give mee seeing I go Christlesse Luther did solemnly protest God should not put him off with these things Valde protestatus sum me nolle sic satiari ab eo Oh labour for those blessings in heavenly places Things present are pleasing but not permanent be not content with a few gifts Abraham gave unto the sons of the Concubines gifts and sent them away but unto Isaac Abraham gave all that he had Reprobates may have a